Inking and branding device



y 1934- A. c. FLOTHOW 1,960,776

INKING AND BRANDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 710671207 wlgzfij 37 37 $667. C F20%0w May 29, 1934. A, Q FLQTHQW 1,960,776

INKING AND BRANDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [M91125af'jreci' CFZaf/zow Patented May 29, 1934 v I l UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE,

1,960,776 INKING AND BRANDING DEVICE Alfred C. Flot'how, Maywood, Ill.,assignor to Everhot Manufacturing Company, Maywood, 1th, a corporationof Illinois Application February 1', 1932, Serial No. 590,126 4 Claims.(Cl. 219-) The invention relales to branding devices and construction,arrangement and combination of more particularly it relates to devicesproviding parts herein shown and described, and more parraisedcharacters or type adapted to be heated ticularly pointed out in theclaims. by resistance coils to a temperature suitable for In thedrawings wherein like reference char- 5 branding surfaces either with orwithout the use acters indicate like or corresponding parts,

of ink. Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the device;

An object of the invention is the provision of Fig. 2 is a view alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 3; an improved branding device including means Fig.3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; adapted t maintain the ype hra t s at Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a portion of 10temperatures variable between predetermined the device drawn to a largerscale; and

upper and lower limits. Fig. 5' is a view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The device is suitable for branding a variety Referring now moreparticularly to the drawof materials either with or without the use ofink ings, the numerals 1O, 11 and 12 respectively and is especiallyadapted for forming inked ch'ardesignate a heating element, a handle anda 15 acters on cold meat. The attempt to mark cold tubular stemconnected with the heating element meat with unheated ink results in theink not extending through the handle 11. penetrating the meat andtending to flow over The heating element 10 includes a housing thesurface to form fuzzy blurred characters. member 17 having a base plate14 and inter- The'satisfactory use of ink in marking or brandmediateplates 15 and 16 fastened together and 20 ing cold meat requires atemperature sufficiently to the housing member 17 by a plurality ofscrews high that the ink will quickly impregnate the sur- 18.

face and be substantially dried during its appli- A substantially squarerecess 19, formed on the cation without melting the fat contents of theinner portion of the base plate 14, contains a meat. heating unitconsisting of a'flat spiral spring 23 Another object of the invention isthe proproviding a resistance coil and an upper and a 3 vision of animproved branding device in comlower insulating plate 21 between whichthe bination with a thermostatic control member spring is positioned.The plates 21' each comadapted to maintain the operative surfaces ofprise a plurality of mica plates fastened together the device within apredetermined narrow range by suitable adhesive materiall The plate 15is 30 of temperature. of any suitable insulating material and the plateStill another object of the invention is the pro- 16 is formed frommetal, both plates providing vision of an improved branding device ofthe kind a square recess 24 in their center portion of subdescribedadapted for applying ink to branding stantially smaller dimensions thanthe recess 19 surfaces and heating such surfaces sufiiciently in theplate 14. Theplates 15 and 16 extend over to dry the ink while beingapplied to the branded the plates 21 to provide a cover for theresistance surfaces. coil 23 and the plates 21. The space within the Afurther object of the invention is the procoil 23 contains a pluralityof plates 20 of mica vision of an improved device adapted for brandorsimilar material. ing meats by the application of heated inked A cord13, comprising a pair of conductors 40 40 characters, such charactersbeing maintained and 42 and suitable insulation connects the dewithin anarrow range of temperature sufficiently vice with any convenient sourceof electrical enhigh'to rapidly dry the ink as it is applied to the ergy(not shown). The tubular stem 12 extends meat and at sufficiently lowtemperatures that the the full length and projects through the handlefat in the meat will not be melted. 11 and has a nipple 29 threadedon'its projecting A still further object of the invention is theportion. The inner end of the handle 11 comprovision of a thermostaticcontrol in combinaprises a circular extension covered by a band 27.

tion with a novel branding device heated by elec- A screw 28 fastens thehandle 11 against movetrical energy, which is simple, compact, durable,ment relative to the stem 12. A spiral spring 30 reliable, efficient andsatisfactory for its intended of the usual construction is fastened tothe cord 50 purpose. 13 to minimize the strain at the junction of theMany other objects and advantages of the concord with the handle and toprevent longitudinal struction herein shown and described will bemovement of the cord in the handle. obvious to those skilled in the artfrom the dis- The plate 14 has a plurality of raised characclosureherein given. ters 37 on its exposed face which are heated when 55 Tothis end my invention consists in the novel the resistance coil 23 isenergized by its connection with the source of electrical energy throughthe conductors 40 and 42. The coil 23 has one end terminating in a loopextending upwardly and is operatively connected with the end of theconductor 40. The other end of the coil 23 terminates in a loop forminga conductor 41 i'as tened to a binding post 44.. The loop extensions ofthe coils 23 are each covered with a plurality of porcelain insulatorsas and the conductor 40 is also encased with insulation 49. such asasbestos or the like at its junction with the loop extension of coil 23to prevent possible contact of the conductors or loop extensions withthe housing 17.

The conductors 41 and 42 are operatively connected and disconnected by athermostat control device suitably mounted in a cup shaped member 50.The member 50 is detachably mounted on the plate 14 by a threaded pin51. The thermostat control device is adjusted to disconnect theconductors 41 and 42 at a predetermined temperature and to again connectthe conductors when the temperature has dropped a few degrees by reasonof the circuit being broken. conductors 41 and 42 are respectivelyconnected. with the thermostat by binding posts 46 and 47.

The thermostat consists of an upper bar 53 underneath which ispositioned a disc shaped mica plate 34 overlying an annular metal disc55. A mica disc or plate 56 underlies the annular disc and the variousdiscs and plates comprising the thermostat are clamped together by thebinding posts 46 and 47 and by a binding post 5s. The binding posts 47and 59 are each separated 1 from the bar 53 by mica washers 52 and havecontact members 57 and 58 respectively, mounted on their lower ends. Thebinding posts 47 and 49 are surrounded by insulating material as shownand are connected with a resistance coil 1 39 through the medium of thebinding post 46 and a plate 60. A bolt 61 projects through the center ofthe various plates and discs forming the thermostatic device and has theplate 60 mounted on its lower end. The plate 60 is clamped between thehead of the bolt and a washer 62. The upper end of the bolt 61 has a nut64 separated from the bar 53 by a washer 63 and the position of theplate 60 relative to the contact members 57 and 58 is easily adjusted bymeans of the nut. The plate 60 is concave upwardly taking the generalform of a segment of a sphere with its outer edge portions normally incontact with the members 57 and 58. The resistance coil 39 connects thebinding posts 46 and 59 and thereby completes the circuit between theconductors 41 and 42 when the plate 60 is in contact with the members 57and 58. The plate 60 is so constructed that it remains in contact withthe members 57 and 58 until the thermostat reaches a predeterminedmaximum temperature which so distorts the plate as to bend it to thedotted line position shown in Fig. 4 and thereby breaks the connectionsbetween the members 57 and 58. The temperature at which the plate 60 isso distorted as to break the circuit depends upon its size and thicknessand also its curvature. Further detailed description of the thermostatis omitted since the specific thermostat shown is not considered as partof the invention.

In using the device for branding meat the characters 37 are applied to apad and thereby coated with ink, following which the device is quicklyraised to a temperature suihcient to dry the ink as the characters arepressed against the surface to be marked. It is found in practice thattemperatures ranging between three hundred forty and three hundredseventy degrees Fahrenheit are sufficiently high to dry the ink as it isbeing pressed into the surface oi the and suificiently low to avoid themelting of the fats. If the characters are heated to temperatures abovethree hundred seventy degrees the fat is melted and the ink and oil runtogether providing letters having a smeared and blurred boundary andpresenting a generally unattractive appearance.

The thermostat shown and described preicrably breaks the circuit atsubstantially three hundred seventy degr es Fahrenheit and again opensthe circuit when the temperatures drop to approximately three hundredforty degrees. No claim is made to the specific thermostat constructionshown and described as such construction is well known in the art andany thermostat operable at the temp *ratures named can be used. Theinvention consists in the provision of means adapted to heat the typeand the ink to temperatures above that named and in combination with athermostat control means adjustable for maintaining the temperatureswithin a predetermined narrow range.

Thus it will be seen that the device provides a novel combination oftype and thermostatic controlled means for heating the type within arange of temperature adapting the device for marking cold meat wherebythe ink is dried as it is applied and caused to penetrate the meatwithout melting the fat contents of the meat.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvi ous that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form,

construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown anddescribed or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to cover Letters Patent is:

1. In a branding device, a housing, a die plate closing the lower end ofsaid housing, a fiat resistor coil extending around and covering asubstantial portion of the inner face of said plate, a thin layer ofinsulating material forming a covering for said coil, means holding thecoil with its covering in close contact with said die plate, a pair ofconductors providing a circuit through coil, and a thermostat plate inclosely spaced relation to and substantially covering the middle portionof the die plate not covered by said coil, said thermostat platenormally closing said circuit and operable to break the circuit whensaid die plate reaches a predetermined maximum temperature resultingfrom the resistance of said coil.

2. In a branding device, a housing, a die plate closing the lower end ofsaid housing, a flat resistor coil extending around and covering asubstantial portion of the inner face of said plate, a thin layer ofinsulating material forming a covering for said coil, means holding thecoil with its covering in close contact with said die plate, a pair ofconductors providing a circuit through said coil, and a thermostat platein closely spaced relation to and substantially covering the centralportion of the die plate not covered by said coil, an insulated memberproviding a fixed support for the central portion of said thermostatplate, terminal members normally operatively connecting portions of saidthermostat plate remote from said support with the circuit, said plateadapted to move to break the circuit upon said die plate reaching amaximum temperature resulting from the resistance of said coil.

3. In a branding device, a housing, a die plate closing the lower end ofsaid housing, a flat resistor coil extending around and covering asubstantial portion of the inner face of said plate, a thin layer ofinsulating material forming a covering for said coil, means holding thecoil with its covering in close contact with said die plate, a pair ofconductors providing a circuit through said coil, and a circularthermostat plate in closely spaced relation to and substantiallycovering the central portionof the die plate not covered by said coil,an insulated supporting member fixedly fastened to the center of saidthermostat plate, the cross section of said plate along diametricallines being identically curved and providing arcs of a circle, and apair of terminal members normally operatively connecting the convex sideof the thermostat plate with said circuit for all temperatures less thana predetermined maximum, the expansion of said thermostat plate at andabove said temperature resulting in the separation of said plate fromsaid terminals.

4. In a branding device, a housing, a die plate forming a closure forthe lower end of the housing, the upper face of said plate providing ashallow depression surrounded by a continuous band integral with theplate, a filler plate of insulating material positioned between the dieplate and body of the housing and providing a central aperture, a fiatresistor coil positioned in and extending around said depression betweensaid plates, a thin layer of insulating material separating the coilfrom the die plate, a pair of conductors providing a circuit throughsaid coil, a thermostat plate positioned in closely spaced relation tothe die plate, a pair of terminal members normally operativelyconnecting the thermostat plate with said circuit and operable to breakthe circuit upon the die plate being heated to a predeterminedtemperature by the resistance of said coil, and a hollow member carriedby said die plate substantially filling said aperture, said memberproviding a support for the thermostat plate and terminals andsubstantially closing said aperture.

ALFRED C. FLOTHOW.

